‘SERIAL WINNER’

Mauricio Pochettino Named New U.S. Men’s Soccer Coach

The Argentinian was hired after the national team fired their former head coach, Gregg Berhalter.

Mauricio Pochettino, an Argentinian coach known for managing some of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs, was officially named the new coach of the U.S. men’s national soccer team. “I am so excited to become the new head coach of the U.S. men’s national team—massive opportunity ahead,” the Argentinian coach said in a brief video posted on social media. Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer’s sporting director, called Pochettino a “serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams.” Pochettino has never coached a national team before, but he previously managed some of Europe’s top teams, including Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, leading the English Premier League club to their first Champions League final in 2019. He comes fresh off the heels managing Chelsea for a single season before leaving in May. The Argentinian coach accepted the job earlier in August, ESPN reported, the month after the U.S. Soccer Federation fired coach Gregg Berhalter, who coached the national team since December 2018.